AXL ROSE Doesn't Want 'Undue Bureaucratic Interference' To Get In The Way Of LEEDS Performance

August 29, 2010

GUNS N' ROSES will play U.K.'s Leeds festival tonight (Sunday, August 29) despite singer Axl Rose's previous claim that that the band would pull out of the gig because the group's appearance at the Reading festival on Friday (August 27) was cut short. In two separate message on Twitlonger.com, a related Twitter site where one can post messages longer than 140 characters, Rose wrote, "We are in constant talks to ensure the fans attending Leeds get what they paid for without undue bureaucratic interference. We thank you for your understanding. . . In regard to Reading, we feel at the very least the fans deserve an apology from those responsible for the nonsense. We'd also like to thank the fans for being so great, singing along n' not tearing the place apart!!"

GUNS N' ROSES reportedly started its Reading festival performance at 10:30 p.m. — more than an hour later than scheduled — and was given an extra half hour to play, until roughly midnight.

In a statement to BBC News, the Reading festival organizers said, "GUNS N' ROSES wanted to 'extend' the new agreed curfew but were prevented from doing so in order to comply with the entertainment licence issued by Reading Council."

GUNS N' ROSES played the final song of its set, "Paradise City", with no guitars and the crowd shouting along despite the lack of sound with Axl Rose singing through a megaphone, according to BBC News.

Although GUNS N' ROSES guitarist D.J. Ashba subsequently aplogized for the band hitting the stage "a little late," he accused the organizers of the festival of having "a personal grudge" with GUNS N' ROSES stemming from eight years ago when the band last played the Leeds festival.

Ashba's GN'R bandmate Richard Fortus (guitar) echoed D.J.'s sentiments, writing on his Twitter profile, "I don't think there is another band out right now that has the balls to do what we did last night. Axl insists on doing things his way and not playing by the fucking rules. You can love him or hate him for it, but the fact of the matter is.... he's the real fucking deal. skin, blood and soul. Deal with it or not, but it won't ever change."

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